The Southern Historical Association strives to promote an “investigative rather than a memorial approach” to southern history. Its objectives are the promotion of interest and research in southern history, the collection and preservation of the south’s historical records and the encouragement of state and local historical societies in the south.

First awarded in 2007, the John Hope Franklin Lifetime Achievement Award is given every five years in recognition of an individual who possesses the qualities of citizenship embodied by the award’s namesake and has had a distinguished career in southern history.

In making this year’s award, the SHA’s Franklin committee noted that Hine’s career has been “more than impressive” and “pioneering.”

Hine helped to found the field of Black Women’s history, contributing more than a dozen authored and co-authored books.

She was previously the president of the Organization of American Historians and the Southern Historical Association. She was the keynote speaker at a conference devoted to “Embracing the Legacy of John Hope Franklin” in 2009, the year he passed away.

“We cannot conceive of a more deserving candidate,” the award committee noted in making its decision. “Hine’s career has been deeply active, productive, and consequential.”